Expensive to re-wire jacks?

[yourbeliefs]

I have a HR-20 that currently only has one line in it because we only had one available at the time. Due to a death in the family I now have 1 available cable line out of 4. Well technically I have two because I can remove one from the old DVR we have that won't get much use. Anyways one of the free jacks is upstairs and the other is downstairs. I wanted to put one of the extra ones into my HR20 so that I get dual tuner capabilities. I don't see myself doing this on my own, since I think the line has to be fed from the outside in. Would it be expensive and time consuming for D* to come down and do this for me, assuming they don't run into any unforeseen snags?

 

[VinceT3]

I think the local D* company would charge unless directv comps it (which if you're not adding new equipment I'm not sure they would)..

There are a few lurking installers on this board.. maybe one will give you a guestimate on how much it would cost..

 

[iwc5893]

My best suggestion would be to call one of your local installation companies, or an A-V installation company and see what they would charge. Materials would be relatively cheap, but labor is going to cost you ... especially if you want it wall fished.

 

[raoul5788]

I'll come over and help you put a new one in if you want. It wouldn't take long at all. Just pay for the parts.

 

[yourbeliefs]

I'll come over and help you put a new one in if you want. It wouldn't take long at all. Just pay for the parts.

About how much would the parts cost? Assuming you have all the tools I would guess you'd need a long wire and maybe a wall jack?

 

[raoul5788]

About how much would the parts cost? Assuming you have all the tools I would guess you'd need a long wire and maybe a wall jack?

Depending on how much cable is needed, I doubt it would be more than $25.

 

[dishcomm]

Depending on how much cable is needed, I doubt it would be more than $25.

get the cabl;e at lowes or home depot. ...Also buy the wall lates at either of those stores. DO NOT go to Radio Shack. Radio Shack is a good store. But it is very expensive. I go to R/S for stuff that no one else carries

 

[Joe Diamond]

get the cabl;e at lowes or home depot. ...Also buy the wall lates at either of those stores. DO NOT go to Radio Shack. Radio Shack is a good store. But it is very expensive. I go to R/S for stuff that no one else carries

Exactly!
And I use Centronics for the same purpose. They have it all and will send a catalog
(1 800 638 0741). They also have informed folks on the phone who will talk you through tough stuff ( like RS).

Another superior source.; expect to pay.

Joe

 

[Bogy]

get the cabl;e at lowes or home depot. ...Also buy the wall lates at either of those stores. DO NOT go to Radio Shack. Radio Shack is a good store. But it is very expensive. I go to R/S for stuff that no one else carries

My son now works at a Radio Shack, and was shocked to find out what the cost is on some of the items they sell, and what their markup on them is.

 

[Joe Diamond]

My son now works at a Radio Shack, and was shocked to find out what the cost is on some of the items they sell, and what their markup on them is.

Yup,
I get wall plates for .19 to .39 when I order from Skywalker. But when you must have one in hand that afternoon.......goodbye several bucks. But you get a cool bag.

Joe

 

[Bob Nielsen]

When travel cost and $4 gas are factored in, RS may end up being cheaper. In my case, the shack is 5 miles away, Home Depot and Best Buy are 25 miles and the cheapest real electronics supplier is a $12.75 (each way, senior rate) ferry ride plus 10 miles of driving. I buy a lot of stuff mail order.

 

[atp1313]

When travel cost and $4 gas are factored in, RS may end up being cheaper. In my case, the shack is 5 miles away, Home Depot and Best Buy are 25 miles and the cheapest real electronics supplier is a $12.75 (each way, senior rate) ferry ride plus 10 miles of driving. I buy a lot of stuff mail order.

I know how you feel...we have an Old Navy Outlet and "big box" retail store within 5-10 miles, but if my wife doesn't order from them online at least once every two weeks, someone from Old Navy calls to check on her and see if she is okay.

 

[raoul5788]

I'm lucky I guess. RS is three miles away, HD is about the same.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Hey I just remembered that I have the DirecTV Protection Plan, and according to the website, it says that it covers:

• Covering the cost associated with replacing defective equipment, including remotes and receivers
• Coverage of wiring, satellite antenna, connections/switches and more
• Power surge-related repairs
• Dish antenna realignments
• 24-hour technical support
• In-home service calls

Do you think that would entail what I'm proposing here?

 

[dishcomm]

Hey I just remembered that I have the DirecTV Protection Plan, and according to the website, it says that it covers:

• Covering the cost associated with replacing defective equipment, including remotes and receivers
• Coverage of wiring, satellite antenna, connections/switches and more
• Power surge-related repairs
• Dish antenna realignments
• 24-hour technical support
• In-home service calls

Do you think that would entail what I'm proposing here?

only the wiring that your equipemnt was originally connected to. Not additional outlets in the home.
I once had a service call that a customer tried a real fast one.
I get there and the two tv system is no signal. So I go outside ,no voltage at the GND.
I go back in and voila, the cable is discoed form the outlet. Reconnect and it worked. This guy thought he was gonna be a smartass and try to get free services by disabling his system. When I told him of the discoed wire he denied it.
Cust says, "oh I want you to wire these two rooms for me". I said fine, it's chargable. He started that 'oh no I'm under warranty' BS. I was incredulous. And I told him the system was fine and why it was not working. I then told him if he wanted additional services outside the scope of the work order, payment was required. He said he was not going to pay.
Please sign here...Have a nice day...
Anyway, if you want the wiring at your recivers replaced because it s not functioning, I believe the warranty covers that. If you want wiring replaced that your system is NOT connected to, you'll need to pay for that.

 

[yourbeliefs]

only the wiring that your equipemnt was originally connected to. Not additional outlets in the home.
I once had a service call that a customer tried a real fast one.
I get there and the two tv system is no signal. So I go outside ,no voltage at the GND.
I go back in and voila, the cable is discoed form the outlet. Reconnect and it worked. This guy thought he was gonna be a smartass and try to get free services by disabling his system. When I told him of the discoed wire he denied it.
Cust says, "oh I want you to wire these two rooms for me". I said fine, it's chargable. He started that 'oh no I'm under warranty' BS. I was incredulous. And I told him the system was fine and why it was not working. I then told him if he wanted additional services outside the scope of the work order, payment was required. He said he was not going to pay.
Please sign here...Have a nice day...
Anyway, if you want the wiring at your recivers replaced because it s not functioning, I believe the warranty covers that. If you want wiring replaced that your system is NOT connected to, you'll need to pay for that.

But what about when they come down and add another line? Like when I got my standard DVR for my mom, D* failed to inform me that I needed the two tuner input for full functionality, so at first it was just one line. I then called them and they came out and added the extra line needed for it, but they didn't charge me for that. Is my HR20 situation much different? As I said, right now only 3 lines are being used (which could be reduced to two if I took out one of the lines from the other DVR.)

 

[dishcomm]

But what about when they come down and add another line? Like when I got my standard DVR for my mom, D* failed to inform me that I needed the two tuner input for full functionality, so at first it was just one line. I then called them and they came out and added the extra line needed for it, but they didn't charge me for that. Is my HR20 situation much different? As I said, right now only 3 lines are being used (which could be reduced to two if I took out one of the lines from the other DVR.)

I don't know all the different rules that DTV installers in various areas must follow.
I have run inot guys that do now or used to work for the local D* HSP and they have all told me that if they can get a run of coax to the location of a dual tuner ,they run the line. If not, they do not run the line.
Eaxmples would be a house built on a concrete slab where the tv is in the middle of the room on the ground floor.

Or if that slab built home has an interior structured wriring panel that is inaccessable from the exterior of the home.
Other than that, the tech should follow standard install procedures. Now D* has always had an installation policy of one cable to one receiver. Everything else was considered "custom' or extra work.
I am no tsure if the procedures have changed.
Judging from the tone and tenor of this thread, I gather the procedures have not changed. But I cannot be certain

 

[yourbeliefs]

Not to be a thread bumper, but just to follow up, I finally got around to calling D* about this (as well as making sure that League Pass doesn't renew and that I will stop getting charged for extra receivers) and after some CSR hopping, it was established that this was covered by my Protection plan, and in a remarkable turnaround time they are coming over in 2 days (Thursday) to do this.

FINALLY my HR20 will be used to its full advantage.

 

[scockman]

Hello, I am new to the DIRECTV area. I have been a Dish Network customer for little over a year now. I will jumping to DIRECTV shortly and I have a question about the wiring. On Dish Network they used single wires up to the VIP622 and then used a Y adapter to connect it. On DIRECTV do they use the same type of setup or do they use two seperate wires for connecting to the DVR?

This would help me greatly, that way I can prepare the wires under the house myself prior to technician arriving.

 

[dishcomm]

Hello, I am new to the DIRECTV area. I have been a Dish Network customer for little over a year now. I will jumping to DIRECTV shortly and I have a question about the wiring. On Dish Network they used single wires up to the VIP622 and then used a Y adapter to connect it. On DIRECTV do they use the same type of setup or do they use two seperate wires for connecting to the DVR?

This would help me greatly, that way I can prepare the wires under the house myself prior to technician arriving.

In some areas a new switch is being marketed that will allow one wire to two tuners. Accroding to what I have read here, the switch costs between $150- $200..Customer does pay for this switch
Other than that, no. The tech must run one cable to each tuner .